The Man In Red
by CandlelightQuill0911
Summary: One day a little girl gets lost in the woods. Who should come to her rescue, but the man in red. -Heavily revised from original one shot.-
1. Chapter 1

It was a sad day. She knew because Oji and Oji-chan couldn't stop crying, and many many strange people come and cried with them.

They wouldn't say anything, but she knew deep down that they were crying for Oba-chan. The little girl was still scraped up and bruised from "the accident". That's what the grown ups had called it anyway. She didn't know exactly what that meant, she only remembered the bright lights and loud bashing sounds as the car tumbled violently. Also still fresh in her memory was the smell of blood, both her own and Oba-chan's. That was the first time she remembered Oji opening a bottle. All of the sad strangers hand gone home by then. Oji just kept crying and drinking until he had fallen on the couch.

The little girl grew board in the old house without anyone to play with her. Oji-chan had gone up to his room for the evening, so nobody noticed that the back door was left open, or when she let herself outside. And certainally nobody realized when she wandered from the relative safety of the shrine grounds out into the woods.

It was great fun at first. The sky was blue and the sun warmed her cheeks. She made friends with a fuzzy bunny as she chased it through the trees, chatted with a squirrel with a bushy brown tail, and fed a family of field mice a few crumbs of cookie she saved in her pocket. She didn't notice that the sun would soon be setting, or that the temperature would drop with it.

She chased her furry friends happily through the trees until she saw a small bunch of early spring flowers. She stopped to marvel at their tiny white petals. Oba-chan always loved flowers, she remembered with a smile. She picked a few and put them in her pocket, careful not to crush their petals.

She stood up on little legs and decided it was time to go home, but nothing looked familiar anymore. There were nothing but trees in every direction. She sniffed tentatively at the air, but was unable to scent any traces of home. Downy puppy ears flattened against her silver hair in attempt to stay warm.

In a moment her happy little adventure had turned sour. Her laughter turned to fear as she stumbled on, hoping she would find her way back where she had come.

She did not know how long she wandered through the trees. Small children have no true sense of time. It might have been ten minutes, it might have been two hours. To her though, it felt like an eternity.

Tears welled in her eyes, warm and achy. "Oji? Oji-chan?" She cried, wiping her nose on her dress.

"Please?" She begged the silence, but there was only the sound of wind rustling through the trees to answer.

She finally plopped down in a heap on the cold ground and cried. It was getting colder, and her tummy hurt with an achy empty feeling. Her new dress was ripped and dirty, and the sun was setting fast.

That was when he appeared, as if out of nowhere.

At first the toddler was startled, but after a moment of silence she became captivated. His long silver hair flitted in the breeze as he stood there studying her. He crossed his arms over his chest, hiding them inside his red coat. She noticed the triangular ears on the top of his head twitch, and she beamed.

The little girl stood up on shaky legs, and ran to to him. She wailed, her tiny body shook by loud wracking sobs. He knealt down, engulfing her into the folds of his coat. His face was stern as he studied her face. Without a word, he used his large red sleeve to wipe the dirt and tears from her sweet chubby cheeks.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" He scolded gently, picking the little girl up in his strong arms. She sniffled, her tears winding down to soft hiccups. She shrunk away, fearing the punishment she knew would surely come. She had broken a rule when she had left the house alone.

"Play." She told him in her broken baby words. He sighed heavily, and traced the bruises on her face with his hand.

"What heppend here?" He asked.

She averting her gaze. She didn't want him to be angry; She didn't want him to know that Oba-chan was gone.

He pulled the girl close, brushing tangled hair away from her little face. "Let's get you home." He said. "Hold on."

And like that, they were flying. At first the movement startled the child, but it wasn't long before she was squealing with glee. She loved the feeling of the cool air blowing passed her face, and the feeling of strong arms holding her protectively.

Her fun wasn't to last however. After a few minutes the shrine grounds come into view. With one last push of his powerful legs, he closed the distance, landing gracefully on her bedroom window. He slid it open and hopped inside. The room was warm and familiar, painted soft hues of pink and cream. She smiled and hopped down from his arms, running to grab her favorite toy, a stuffed dog made from soft grey and red socks. She hugged it tightly to herself, then turned, offering up her toy to the man.

"That's a very nice puppy." he praised.

"Uh-huh! He my favorite!" She chattered, snuggling into his chest. His arms pulled her into his lap, and they sat there in silence together.

"I brought you something." He finally said, pulling something shiny and gold from inside his voluminous red sleeves. A golden locket dangled by a chain before her, and she reached for it, holding it between her tiny fingers.

Carefully the man opened it, showing her the picture cradled safely inside. "Ooooh!" She cooed in awe. He chuckled, marveling at her innocence. "Do you know who that is?" He asked, pointing at the man in the picture.

"Papa!" She answered proudly, reaching to touch his chin with her soft little hand.

"Very good. Yes, that's me. And that is you." He continued, pointing to the baby.

"Who dat?" the toddler asked, pointing at the woman that cradled the baby to her chest, smiling brightly.

"That is your Mama." He answered. His voice was soft and sad sounding to her little ears. She watched as he traced the woman's face with the tip of his claw.

"Haru, where are you?!" Oji's voice called from down stairs. Two sets of ears perked up at the noise. She looked up into her father's face. He smiled slightly and put her down.

"Go on, Oji is calling you." he said, getting to his feet. The child wasn't ready for him to go. She wanted to stay here with him, snuggled in his arms forever. He gently pulled her hands free from around him and pointed toward the back door. "Go on."

"No!" She pouted, her baby face set stubbornly. He smiled a sad smile and touched her soft cheek.

He stood up slightly, still bent over at the waist, leaning over her shoulder. "Get going" he chuckled, giving her backside a gentle swat. Tears of sadness welled in her warm honey eyes. She was worried that she might never see him again. Without warning, she hugged him once more, wrapping little arms around his neck. She planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Love you Papa." She whispered.

He cleared his throat. "I love you too." He answererd, kissing the top of her downy head. He inhaled her baby smell, committing it to memory, then he looked up. His expression was serious as he took her hands and closed them around the locket. "Keep it safe." He told her. Then he was gone, as if he had never been there.

That night the little girl watched from her window, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. She fell asleep clutching the locket in her tiny hands.

Neither Oji-chan or Oji had any idea what Haru had gotten up to that day. Not that it would have mattered. When Oji wasn't working at the shrine he was drinking from another bottle, and Oji-chan was far too old to play with a toddler properly.

Her life was a little lonelier after that. She didn't have friends, and was far too young for school. Her favorite time was when Oji would take her to the park down the street.

He would sit there on the bench with his stinky drink as she happily played on the swings. She was still much too little to sit in them properly, so instead she would lay down with her belly across the seat and kick with her little legs.

This particular day wasn't any different than any other. Oji had walked with Haru to the park, and she had run off to play on the swings like always.

She hummed happily to herself, playing that way for hours until the sun began to set. They always went home when the sun went down. Haru peeked toward the bench where Oji always sat by himself while She played. Today however, it was empty. Oji was nowhere to be seen. She could smell him though, his stinky drink making it easy for her to track him back toward the house.

The street was busy with people, but none of them bothered to notice the toddler as she walked along, following the scent Oji had left behind on his way home. She hoped he wasn't sick or hurt. Those were the only reasons her innocent young mind could comprehend him leaving her behind. It never occured to her that he had gotten so drunk that he simply forgot that she had been with him, and had stumbled home alone.

Haru knew that she was getting closer to home when the smell got stronger. She could see the trees and the hill where she lived a few streets away, and she smiled proudly at her own progress as she continued onward.

A group of much older boys stood loitering on the corner as she passed by. One of them called out to her but she dutifully ignored him. They looked nice enough, but she was too focused to stop.

"Hey. Hold up a minute little missy." One of them said, grabbing her firmly by the arm. Haru felt a surge of panic in her little belly as she stared up at him. Why had he grabbed her like that?

"Lemeego!" She cried, trying to pull away.

"Stop your crying kid." One of the other boys singgered. He took a puff of a cigarette and dropped on the ground, smashing it under his shoe. "Hey, you bet this is the kid with the silver hair that lady told us about? Your Mommy told us you were missing."

"Yeah, your mommy sent us to find you." The one holding her by the arm echoed. He pulled a knife from his pocket and grinned wickedly.

That was when Haru knew something was wrong. She had an Oji and an Oji-chan and a Papa, but not a Mommy. She cried out, doubling her efforts to get away. Home was so close! If she could get him to let go she could run there and be safe!

"Shut up you brat! Didn't you hear what I said—?"

There was a flash of red, and in an instant the boy lay crying on the ground clutching his hand, his knife flung a several feet away.

Haru found herself wrapped in a pair of familiar large red sleeves. She looked up, recognizing her father's face as he held her closely. She smiled widely, wrapping little arms around his neck in a bear hug.

"How's my girl doing?" He asked, glaring at the group of boys as they watched their friend clutch his injured arm.

"What the hell man?" one of the other boys yelled. He pulled a kife of his own out of his pocket and brandished it.

Papa smiled, apparently amused. "Put that thing away before you hurt yourself kid. You wont win this one." He laughed, pattign something at his hip as he turned on his heel and walked away.

Haru cried then, tears of relief and burried her little face in his neck.

"Why were you alone?" He asked her.

"We go to da park, but Oji go home. Maybe he sick." She answered, feeling tears well up in in her eyes. They ran hot down her cheeks, blurring her vision.

He stopped for a moment, a sad smile on his face, and looked down at her. Her golden gaze was so much like his own. "You got guts for such a tiny kid." He told her as he continued the walk back home. "Just like your Mama. She's brave too."

"Really?" Haru asked, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

"Oh yes." He answered.

"The big boys are scary." She admitted.

"It's alright. I got ya."

There was a moment of silence as Haru felt calmed again. "I play on da swing at da park! I can fly!" She announced proudly.

"Can you now?" He chuckled, stopping at the bottom of the tall stairs that led home. "You mean like this?" he quickly leaped into the air, and the toddler squealed with delight.

"Yeah! Again Papa! Again!" Haru cheered, and he made a quick landing before leaping into the air once more.

"Again!" She begged as they landed near the house.

"Maybe later," he offered, his voice suddenly serious. He slid the door open and they stepped inside. "Oi! Old man!" he yelled down the hall.

Haru could hear Oji-chan's feet scuffle against the rug as he got up and joined them in the hallway.

"Inuyasha?" he asked, squinting his eyes as he pulled his glasses from his pocket.

"Where's Sota?"

"He took Haru to the park." Jii-san answered. Papa, shifted Haru on his hip and Jii-san gulped, his face turning a pale grey.

Suddenly there was the sound of the toilet flushing down the hall, and Oji emerged, clutching a full bottle in one hand. He smelled of vomit and his smelly drink, and his face was a pale green color. Papa growled low and leapt forward, shoving Oji up against the wall. His free hand wrapped agaist Oji's neck.

"You bastard!" He snarled. Haru had never seen her father so angry. It upset her, and she began to cry once more, burying her face in her father 's shirt. She hadn't meant to get Oji into trouble.

"Inuyasha! What is going on?" Oji-chan hollered.

"I found Haru wandering down the streep by herslef. A couple of punk kids tried to convince her to go with them. What the FUCK is wrong with you? She's only two!"

"Sota, is this true?" Oji-chan asked. He sounded absoultely mortified. Oji gurgled a response, and Papa loosened his grip slightly.

"I- I must have forgotten. I didn't mean—"

"Didn't mean to what? Abandon my _daughter_ while you got yourself pissed drunk?!"

"Is she alright?" Oji asked, his voice soft and remorseful.

"She's fine, no thanks to you." Papa snapped. He let go of the younger man and rubbed Haru's back, doing his best to soothe her. But she refused to be calmed. Papa was angry with Oji, and she just knew it was her fault.

"Sorry!" The toddler wailed. "No be angry at Oji, Papa! I sorry!"

"Hey now. It's not your fault." Her father hushed, brushing her hair from her eyes.

"He's right baby girl. It's not your fault. I messed up, and I'm the sorry one." Oji said. "Can you forgive me?"

Haru looked up at her uncle, hiccuping softly through her tears. Of course she could forgive him, he was her Oji and he loved her.

"Haru, why don't you go up to your room and play? Can you do that for me, love?" Papa asked, lowering to the floor. His voice was so soft and gentle that the little girl forgot how angry he had been just a moment ago.

"O-okay." She sniffled, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her dress.

"That's a good girl. I'll come up in a few minutes." he said as she made her way up the stairs.

Haru didn't really want to be by herself, so she grabbed her puppy and a blanket from the bed and sat down on the floor with the door cracked. She wanted to hear the grown ups as they spoke.

" _I think I'll go make some tea." Oji-chan excused himself to the other room._

 _Papa and Uncle were quiet for a moment._

 _"Inuyasha, look. I'm sorry—"_

 _"Save it Sota. I don't want to hear it."_

 _"I feel terrible."_

 _"You should. You have no idea how scared I was when I saw those boys try to grab her. They pulled a knife for fuck's sake. Who knows what they would have done if I hadn't found her!"_

 _"I really fucked up. I'm just working through some things."_

 _"This isn't the first time I found her by herself you know."_

 _"What? When?"_

 _"The day of your mother's funeral. I found her out in the woods not far from here. She was scared out of her wits. I let it go because I knew you were mourning. I never thought you would let it go this far. How many drinks have you had today? You stink to high heaven."_

 _"Yeah, well you'd drink too if your sister was missing and your mother died in a car accident. Suddenly I'm responsible for caring for my sister's baby girl, and running the shrine because Grandpa isn't getting any younger!"_

 _"Then maybe I'll take Haru home with me."_

 _"What? No! That's not what I meant!"_

 _"And what am I supposed to do? Just leave and hope that you'll get your act together before my kid gets killed?"_

 _"Excuse me? I'm doing the best I can!"_

 _"Well it ain't good enough."_

 _"Alright, I've made us all some tea. Why don't we all have a cup and calm down." Jii-chan interrupted._

 _"Gramps, he's going to take Haru back with him." Oji announced._

 _There was quiet for a few moments. Oji-chan sighed. "I have to admit that I would miss having her with us, but Sota we're not exactly equipped to care for a toddler. Maybe things would be different if your mother were still alive, but I think Inuyasha is right. Maybe he should take her home."_

 _"You can't mean that." Oji balked._

 _"Sometimes the truth is hard to swallow my boy." Oji-chan explained. "He is her father after all, and caring for Haru was never meant to be permanent."_

 _"Wow. I thought you'd see things my way." Oji spat angrily._

 _"Look kid, it's not like —"_

 _"Fine Inuyasha. Just take the only peice of my sister that I have left away." He huffed._

" _It's for the best, Sota my boy._ _Inuyasha would you like to join us for dinner before you and Haru leave?" Oji-chan offered._

 _"I uh— no thanks. It's probably best if we go before it gets too late." Papa answered, there was a tiredness to his voice. "I'll go and get Haru's things."_

The sound of her father's feet on the stairs as he made his way up the stairs made Haru feel jumpy inside. She quickly wrapped her blanket around herself, snuggling into its fuzzy softness. She hadn't understand most of what was said, but she knew that something was up. Hiccups still wracked her body as I snuggled her puppy closely to herself. Whatever it was, she would be brave. Papa would never let anything bad happen, she knew that much was true.

"Hey, how's my girl?" Papa greeted, setting himself down on the floor beside her. He lifted the blanket up so he could better see her face.

"Guess what?" He asked, pulling her into his lap. Haru blinked up at him curiously. "You are going to come home and live with me. So why don't we get your things packed."

"Okay." She agreed. Papa nodded and set her down on the bed before getting to work. She watched attentively as he packed a small bag with a few of her things.

Haru lowered herself to the floor and grabbed one of her favorite books, and the locket, dropping them into the bag. Papa smiled, reaching his hand out for hers. Haru wrapped her little hand around one of his fingers as he lead her from the room.

Together they walked back down the stairs. Oji-chan and Oji were waiting for them at the bottom. Haru smelled their tears even though they'd done their best to hide them behind smiles. Oji dropped to his knees and opened his arms wide. The tiny girl dropped her father's hand and hugged her uncle tight as her little arms could muster. She didn't want Oji to be sad any more.

"You be a good girl for your Papa, alright? I love you." His voice cracked a little as he squeezed me tightly.

"Love you Oji." She echoed, hugging him a little tighter. He let her go and she turned to Oji-chan. The old man smiled and motioned for her to come closer, and she obeyed. He leaned heavily against his cane as he bent at the waist, bringing himself close enough to kiss the top of her head.

"I will miss you little one." He said sternly, then ruffled her hair with a smile. Haru beamed back and nodded.

"Alright baby girl. It's time for us to go." Papa said as he hefted Haru up into his arms.

"She likes to sleep with her puppy when she goes to bed. She'll cry all night without it. And make sure to ask her if she needs to use the toilet. She won't tell you until it's too late. She's still in diapers at night." Oji explained. "Take good care of her."

"I will." Papa said with a nod before leaping off into the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

It was dark when Inuyasha found himself at the old well house. The shrine grounds were dark and silent as he pushed the heavy wooden door open and stepped inside. He cradled Haru gently, remembering the last time he had brought her through the well. She had been about a year and a half old then. He had been convinced that her life would be better on this side of the well without him, even though it had been like ripping his heart from his chest. That had been a year ago, but it had felt like an eternity, and he hadn't been able to stay away for too long. Luckily his nagging need to know that Haru was alright had pulled him through the well. It was clear that she needed him as much as he needed her.

He hopped up on the edge of the well and peered down at the dark pit below before jumping in. He was greeted by the familiar blue light of the time slip for only a few moments before it dropped him on the bottom of the well, many years in the past.

He heard Haru hum liglty to herself, her little hands toying gently with his shirt. He smiled and pulled his haori tighter around her. It wasn't exactly a warm night. Home wasn't too far off from the well, tucked into the trees about a half mile from the village. It would be nice to be back, but Inuyasha knew he was expected somewhere else before they could call it a night.

He wizzed through the trees, letting the fresh air fill his lungs. It was nice being home. He had alwasy been bothered by the stink of modern Tokyo and never quite understood how the humans seemed oblivious to it. After a minute the trees gave way to farm land. The villagers were beginning the work of planting their crops of rice as spring advanced, the paddies, now flooded with water reflected the moonlight.

He didn't slow his pace as he entered the village. The watchmen were used to him by now though, and didn't bat an eye when he zipped passed, a momentary red blur in the light of their bonfire. He could make out his destination just ahead, the warm light of a fire glowing cheerfully through the window, and he landed softly on the other side of the gate.

"Inu-oji! Mama, Papa, Inu-oji is here!" he heard someone yell before the herd of children ran from the house to greet him.

"Inu-oji! You're late! We were worried you wouldn't make it for dinner!" Little Mine said, pulling insistantly on his coat.

"Mine, stop that. He doesn't come every night for dinner." Hana, her oldest sister scolded.

"Mama was a little worried though." Riku, Hana's twin sister amended.

"Inu-oji, where did you go? You didn't even say good bye! Did you bring us anything?" Satoru, the only boy in the large family asked.

"Okay, hold on. It just so happens that I _did_ bring something back with me, but it isn't necessarily for you." Inuyasha chuckled, feeling Haru tuck herself deeper into his neck. She remained hidden from view by his mane of hair and his voluminous red sleeves for the time being.

"Alright everyone, let Inuyasha breathe!" Their mother scolded, leaning out the door. She rested one of her hands on her growing belly and smiled at her old friend. "Come on, dinner's ready and your father is starving. I can't promise he won't eat it all before you sit down."

Inuyasha followed the gaggle of children as they scrambled back inside. Sango stopped him at the doorway with a hand on his shoulder, and he nodded. "You had me worried. I'm glad you're back from where ever it was you went."

"Keh. I'm gone for a few hours and everyone panics." Inuyasha snorted. Haru wiggled slightly, and he casually shifted her weight. Sango gave him a penetrating look.

"You're up to something, aren't you?" she accused.

"I'm not up to anything." He lied, offering a friendly smile.

"Then what are you hiding under your coat, huh?" Sango reached over and pulled his sleeve away, revealing Haru snuggled against his shoulder. She gasped and stepped back. Clearly she hadn't been expecting _that_. "Inuyasha..." she covered her mouth with her hand, tears welling in her eyes. "Is that..?" He smiled and nodded. "Oh my god! She's so big!" Sango cried. "Don't just stand outside you idiot! It's _cold_ out there. The poor darling is going the freeze to death!" She scolded, pulling him inside.

"Mama, why are you crying?" Mine asked innocently from her seat at the low dinner table. Sango used the towel she had resting over her shoulder to dry her eyes.

"It's alright dear, they're happy tears. Your Inu-oji has wonderful news!" Sango gushed, letting out another bout of tears. "Damn these pregnancy hormones." she muttered under her breath.

"Why Inuyasha. It's nice of you to join us!" Miroku greeted from his seat across the room. "Sango was just saying I could eat your share if you didn't show up."

"Don't listen to him Inuyasha. I never said that." Sango told him, shooting her husband a dour look.

Haru choose that moment to make her presence known, and fussed a little. The sound was soft, but nobody in room had missed it.

"What was _that_?" Satoru asked, his young face screwed into a curious expression. Well, the jig was up. Inuyasha sighed, rolled his eyes and squatted down at his usual seat at the table. He set Haru's bag against the wall behind him.

"It's not a what. It's a who." he corrected, opening his jacket so Haru was perfectly visible.

"It's a baby!" Mine squealed, scrambling for a closer look. "Awe, she's so cute! Inu-oji, she looks just like you!"

"Mine, that's Haru. Don't your remember?" Sango asked, carefully lowering herself to the floor.

"No, I don't remember." Mine answered.

"She's Inu-oji and Kagome-chan's baby girl." Hana reminded pointedly.

"Well, she _is_ a bit bigger now." Riku pointed out.

"Well now. What a pleasant surprise. Is everything alright with Kagome-san's family?" Miroku wondered as he lifted one of the children's bowls from the table.

"Does something have to be wrong for Inuyasha to bring his daughter home?" Sango snapped.

"Why of course not." Miroku back peddled. "It's just—never mind. I'm happy for you my friend. Now can we eat?"

There was a sudden sound of clattering stoneware as everyone scrambled to get a helping of stew and rice. Inuyasha settled Haru in his lap as Sango set a bowl of food on the table before him. "Would you like some food too sweetheart?" she asked Haru.

The toddler squeaked and hid her face in Inuyasha's shirt. "She can have some of mine." he told her.

"Are you sure?" Sango asked. "We have plenty here."

"Thanks Sango. I'm not that hungry."

"Alright. You're going to want a spoon though." she said, offering up the carved wooden utensil. "Just trust me. Two year olds aren't the cleanest eaters." She explained before taking a bite of her own dinner.

The hanyou shrugged, but took the offering anyway. He ladled some of the warm stew into the spoon and blew on it before offering it to Haru. She sniffed it tentatively, then opened her mouth, letting him feed her a bite. She chewed it slowly, humming with satisfaction, then opened her mouth again.

Inuyasha chuckled. "You want more huh?" Haru nodded enthusiastically. He ladled more into the spoon, blew on it, then gave her a second bite.

"Yummy." She enthused, clapping her little hands together. "More!"

"She can talk!" Mine gasped, letting a bit of rice fall in her lap mid bight.

"You started talking about that age." Miroku said.

"And she never stopped." Satoru snorted.

"Hey!" Mine pouted, glaring daggers at her older brother. "I can stop talking any time I like, thank you very much!"

"Then what's stopping you?" Satoru asked.

"Satoru. Stop teasing your little sister and eat." Sango warned, turning to put some rice in her bowl. Mine used the chance to stick her tongue out at her older brother in a satisfactory taunt.

"Mine, put your tongue back in your mouth." Sango added without turning her head. The girl quickly pulled her tongue back inside and busied herself with her dinner.

Inuyasha watched his friend in amazement. How in the world had she known what was going on behind her back? Sango turned to him smiling knowingly.

"I've got eyes on the back of my head." Sango answered his unspoken question. "Don't worry. You'll get yours soon enough. She might still be little, but she'll give you a run for your money."

"Keh. I think I can handle it." Inuyasha snorted. "I made it through those first few months after she was born. After that, this should be a breeze."

Both Sango and Miroku laughed, loudly. "You'll eat your words soon enough." Miroku chortled. "They're chaos in potential wrapped in a sweet baby face at that age."

"Remember when Riku and Hana were still little?" Sango reminded. Inuyasha frowned, remembering all of those hours of ear tugging and hair pulling.

"I'd rather not." he admitted sourly. He hadn't noticed that Haru had taken it upon herself to grab the bowl of rice from the table. It wobbled precariously before tipping over the edge, dumping the sticky white grains into both of their laps. Haru happily grabbed a handful of rice in each hand and stuffed some into her mouth.

Inuyasha growled lightly, not pleased with the mess now covering his lap. Haru looked up, her chubby little cheeks stuffed with food and smiled, lifting her other fistful of rice to his mouth. "Eat Papa!" She said, putting the food to his lips. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. How the hell was he supposed to be mad when she did things like that?

This time Miroku couldn't contain his laughter, and almost fell backward from his seat.

"At least that wasn't the stew." Sango said, doing her best to hide her own amusement.

Inuyasha took some of the rice into his mouth, and Haru lowered her hand, satisfied that he had gotten enough before grabbing another two fistfuls. She stuffed the first one into her mouth again, then offered him the other. "No thank you." he said calmly. "You eat it baby girl."

Haru glared up at him, and angrily stuffed the rice into her mouth.

"Oh my. Isn't she just like her Mama?" Sango mused. "Here, I'll take her so you can clean up." Sango said, reaching for the toddler without a second thought. Haru's eyes went wide as she stared up at the unfamiliar face, then looked back at her father as he stood up and shook the mess from his pants.

"Papa!" She cried, reaching for him.

"It's alright. I'm right here." He said dismissively.

Sango smiled at the little girl. "It's okay. See, I'm a mama. Those are my babies." she said softly, pointing across the table at her children.

"Hi Haru." Mine said, crawling behind Inuyasha to sit at her mother's side. "I'm Mine." she took Haru's smaller hand in her own.

"No touch!" Haru yelped, snatching her hand away.

"I was just trying to be nice." Mine grumbled, dropping her hands back to her lap.

"It's alright, Mine. She just doesn't know you yet. Would you like it a stranger grabbed your hand?" Sango asked.

"I guess not." the girl agreed. "Maybe she would like to play with one of my toys!"

"That's very thoughtful, but you need to see if it's alright with Inuyasha first."

Mine turned to the adult hanyo, who was still trying to get the last bits of rice from his pants, and gave him the biggest smile. "Can she Inu-oji?"

"Sure. Something tells me she's done eating anyway." he decided, sitting himself back down to finish what was left of his dinner.

"I'm not hungry any more Mama. Is it alright if I go get my ball?" Mine asked politely. Sango nodded, and the little girl scampered off to another room.

"I'm done too Mama, may I be excused?" Riku asked.

"Of course, as long as you and your sister help me clear the table later."

"Thank you Mama." and with that the oldest two left.

"What about me?" Satoru whined, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm done too. Can't I go?"

"Of course you can son." Miroku said.

"Can I go to the bon fire? Ichiro and Kenji are going?" Satoru asked.

"Fine. But don't be gone too long!" Miroku agreed, yelling after the boy as he disappeared through the front door. Mine returned from the other room with her ball, and showed it to Haru.

"Would you like to play?" she asked, offering her the ball. Haru took the toy between her hands and studied it.

"Okay." she finally agreed, pushing herself to her feet.

"Here Haru. We can play in my room." Mine said, gently guiding the toddler toward the door.

"Be gentle Mine. She's still little." Miroku called after her.

"Okay Papa! I will!"

"Finally some peace!" Miroku sighed, patting his stomach. "Dinner was delicious as always, Sango my love." he added. "I think I'll head down to the bonfire and see what Satoru is up to." and with that he got up and left.

"Well, that was exciting." Sango exclaimed, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

"That's an understatement. " Inuyasha snorted, putting his empty bowl on the table. "Thanks for dinner Sango."

"You're welcome. You know that you and Haru are welcome anytime." Sango offered, rubbing her pregnant belly absently.

"I appreciate the offer, but I _can_ cook you know."

Sango smiled. "I know you can. I'll send you home with the left overs anyway. Maybe a few new recipes for you to try too."

"I guess it couldn't hurt." Inuyasha shrugged, scratching his chest.

"I really am happy for you Inuyasha. I'm glad you decided to bring her home."

"Me too. I just hope I don't screw up. I'm not great at this parenting stuff."

"Cut that out." Sango chided. "You seemed to take to it pretty easily when she was first born."

"Babies are easy. It's not hard when all they do is lay there. She's a little older now if you hadn't noticed. And I did miss an entire year of her life." His ears drooped low.

Sango waved her hand dismissively. "Pfft. You were there when she first crawled, and when she first waked, and her first word. You thought you were doing what was best at the time. That's all any of us really can do. She seems to adore you, anyway."

"If you say so."

"MAMA! Inu-oji!" Mine bellowed loudly from down the hall. A moment later she came stomping in, holding Haru at arms length. "Mama, she _wet_ her yukata!"

"Lemego!" Haru yowled, squirming to get free of Mine's grip. The older girl decided she'd had enough of the toddler, and plopped her down none too gently and stomped off. Haru pushed herself up and toddled over.

"I think I'm done playing now!" Mine huffed.

Inuyasha groaned. It had been a long while since he had changed a diaper. He gave Sango a helpless glance. She shook her head and sighed. "Alright, I'll help you this once. After this you're on your own though." She managed to push herself to her feet. "Strip her down. I've got some old clothes from when Mine was smaller." she said, waddling her way to the back.

"Uh-oh. All wet. " Haru whimpered pitifully, reaching her tiny hands upward.

"You said it. Let's get you out of those wet things." he said, stripping her down to her skin. "I think you need a bath little one." he muttered to himself. Haru's eyes grew wide, and before he knew it, she was running. She had just about made it out the front door before he managed to scoop her up with one arm and bring her back inside. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"No bath! No wanna bath!" she wailed, pushing his arms away with what strength she could muster. When that didn't work she turned to hitting him with her hands. Of course, she couldn't hurt him, but still, the behavior wasn't appreciated. He growled, grabbing one of her little arms in his hand. "You don't hit. You got that?"

"No! NOOOOO!" She screamed lounder, using her other hand instead.

"We haven't been here more than a few hours kid, and you're already testing my patience."

"She's probably just tired, Inuyasha." Sango said as she waddled back int the room. "Here, I brought a wet cloth and some clean clothes. Would you like some help?"

"Please." came his clipped reply. "I'm clearly not doing this right."

"You're doing fine. Trust me." She said, handing him the wet cloth. "Be gentle, but firm." she coached.

Inuyasha nodded his head and took a deep breath, waiting for Haru to quit her tantrum. It took a litte while, but finally she calmed down. "Okay, are you done now?" He asked, looking Haru in the eye. She sniffled, but nodded obediently. "Good. I'm going to put you down, and you're going to hold still, got it? You pull that stunt again, and I will swat you."

"Okay Papa." she answered, adding another sniffle for good measure. Inuasha rolled his eyes, and sat her down on the foor, accepting the wet cloth from Sango.

Haru stood still while she was washed clean. She hadn't done it quietly though, earning herself a warning swat on the behind. Inuyasha felt guilty as soon as he'd done it, but he hadn't known what else to do. He made a mental to only use it again as a last resort. In any case, Haru had held still long enough to get washed up and dressed in clean clothes.

She yawned a big yawn and leaned against her father's chest. He blew a frustrated breath between his teeth and picked her up, then went to grab the soiled clothes. Sango stopped him with a shake of her hand.

"You can leave those here. I'll wash them for you." she told him. He quirked a dark brow questioningly. "Don't you give me that look, or I might not decided to be nice next time. I'm doing laundry tomorrow anyway. You've got enough on your hands for now. Go home. Put Haru to bed."

"Thanks Sango."

"Yeah, well remember that the next time _I_ need some time to myself." She teased.

"I can barely handle my own kid. You think I could handle _all_ of yours?" He sputtered. Sango laughed dryly.

"I wasn't talking about the kids Inuyasha. But don't tempt me."

The hanyo gulped and quickly grabbed Haru's bag before Sango went back on her word. "Good night." he called over his shoulder.

"Good luck!" Sango called back.

Inuyasha was relieved that Haru had fallen asleep on the way home. He managed to sneak quietly inside, and had her all but tucked into bed when suddenly she was wide awake.

"Where puppy?" she asked.

"I've got it here in the bag." he explained as he reached over and unzipped it. Inuyasha's heart sank when he realized that it wasn't in there. He had the clothes Sango had given them, and a few other things, but not one hide nor hair of that stuffed dog.

"I'm sorry Haru. I can't find it. I must have left behind at dinner. We can go back and get it tomorrow, okay?"

That had been the _wrong_ thing to say, because immediately, she began to cry. Not just cry, but scream loud, ear ringing, roof shaking cries. So he picked her up and held her against his shoulder, bouncing and rubbing her back in a fultile attempt to calm her down while scanning the foor for it. Secretly he cursed the day he'd seen the stuffed dog, as now it was the bane of his exsistance.

The first night in, and he'd already done the two things Sota had warned him about. It was a good thing he didn't need much sleep, because at this rate he sure wasn't going to get any.

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Inuyasha growled, ready to punch whoever dared bother him now. "What do you want?" he snapped, swinging the reed mat out of the way.

Miroku blinked, then grinned from ear to ear. "I walked all the way here bring this to you, but if you're going to be like that I might as well take it home with me." he said, holding up the stuffed dog.

Haru's wails hadn't quieted, and at this rate even from a half mile away she could quite possibly wake everyone in the village. "Just give that to me." he snapped, making to grap the toy. Miroku moved it behind his back and waggled his finger. "Tch, tch Inuyasha. Not very grateful of you."

"Just give it to me already. You want her to wake up the whole damn village?" he hissed, murder in his eyes.

"Alright. I can see you're despirate." Miroku conceded, handing the toy over. Inuyasha snatched it up and quickly offered it to his scream child.

It was like magic as soon as her eyes layed on that puppy. She hugged it to herself, sunggling against his shoulder and fell asleep as if nothing had been wrong just a moment ago.

"Not even a thank you?" Miroku asked, feigning a disappointed pout, but the mischivious twinkle never left his eye.

"Just shove it why don't you." Inuyasha snapped. There was no way in hell he was going to let the monk have the satisfaction. "Tell Sango I said _thank you_ for helping me earlier. Now get lost before I punch your smug face."

"Alright." Miroku shrugged. "Good night my friend, and _good luck._ You are going to need lots of it." He added as he headed down the path towards his own home.

Inuyasha swung the matting closed, glad that everything was finally quiet. Hopefully now _everyone_ could get some sleep before sunrise.


	3. Chapter 3

" _Morning sleepy head."_

 _Inuyasha rolled over, blinking the sleep from his eyes._

 _"Morning." He yawned._

 _Kagome sat beside him, her yukata loose around her shoulders as she nursed the baby. The early morning light filtering through the window framed her sleep tangled hair, washing her in a warm glow almost as bright as her smile. Inuyasha smiled and sat up, wrapping himself around her from behind._

 _He leaned his head against her shoulder, enjoying the feel of her skin against his own. She was soft and warm, and smelled heavenly. He breathed deeply, drawing her scent into the deepest recesses of himself._

 _"Get enough sleep?" Kagome asked, snuggling herself into him._

 _"Yup." He kissed the spot behind her ear, reveling his attention with his lips and fangs._

 _"What are you up to?" Kagome giggled lightly._

 _"I'm *kiss* not up *kiss* to *kiss* anything."_

 _"Uh huh. Just don't start anything you can't finish. We have somewhere to be, remember?" she scolded lightly. Inuyasha growled in frustration, and rested his chin against her shoulder. Small honey eyes blinked up at him curiously and he smiled._

 _"Spoiled pup, stealing all of your mother's attention." he teased, gently rubbing the back of his hand against his pup's soft cheek. Haru pulled away and offered a milky smile, then nuzzled her mother's breast before continuing her breakfast._

 _The hanyo sighed, relaxing in contentment. That nagging voice in his head could go ahead and jump off a cliff, because everything was perfect as far as he was concerned._

 _"You got plenty of my attention last night if I remember." Kagome scolded, he could practically hear her eyes rolling._

 _"Keh."_

 _Haru finished nursing then. She was growing fast, and the morning ritual was more for comfort than for sustenance._

 _"Here, she can have your attention now. Can you get her ready while I make breakfast?"_

 _Inuyasha leaned back slightly and lifted his pup to the air, earning a happy gurgle and smile. He kissed Haru's little nose and tucked her against his shoulder._

 _Kagome pulled her yukata over her shoulders and cinched it closed, humming softly to herself as she headed to the other room. He watched her go, her hips swaying slightly with each step. She stopped in the doorway, bent over for a moment and gave him a perfect view of her round backside. She turned and grinned, wiggling her fingers playfully as she righted herself and continued on her way._

 _Inuyasha gulped, suddenly feeling a bit warmer under the collar. Damn, that woman would be the death of him. Now he would have to spend all day smelling her arousal, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the squirmy pup in his arms, glad for the distraction._

 _"Alright wiggle butt, your mother has spoken."_

 _He used his free hand to open the small wooden chest where Kagome kept the clean diapers and baby clothes, then laid Haru down on the bed._

 _With practiced skill he changed her diaper and dressed her, sparing a few moments to snuffle her soft, warm belly. Her little hands batted at his hair as s_ he laughed and _squirmed_.

" _Pa!" Haru burbled, and Inuyasha beamed, his heart welling with fatherly pride._

 _"You can say it pup. Say 'Papa'." he coached, bobbing his head with each syllable._

 _"Pa." she burbled again, stuffing her fingers into her mouth._

 _"You'll get it, kid. Don't worry." he signed, rubbing her downy ears._

 _"I've got breakfast almost done!" Kagome called out. Inuyasha's stomach growled at the smell of Kagome's cooking wafting in from the other room. Haru cooedin recognition, her little ears perking up at the sound of her mother's voice. She rolled over and pushed herself to stand on shaky legs. Haru smiled proudly, bouncing as she gained confidence. Inuyasha smiled and offered his fingers as she took a step forward, then another, then let go of him completely, toddling happily toward the other room and her mother._

 _"We're coming." Inuyasha answered, watching his little girl go with a thoughtful look in his eye._

 _"You sure she'll be alright?" Inuyasha asked as he crouched low, offering Kagome his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and laughed._

 _"Haru will be fine, Inuyasha. Stop being such a worry wart." she teased. "I think Sango can more than handle anything Haru throws at her. She has plenty of experience."_

 _"Keh. I know that." Inuyasha groused. "It's just the first time we've been away without her. It feels... wrong."_

 _"You're so cute when you worry, Papa." Kagome hummed, leaning in close enough to let her breath tickle his cheek. "It's a simple enough job. With any luck we'll be back in time for dinner."_

 _"Let's get going then. The faster we take care of this, the sooner we can come back." he huffed, leaping into the air with easy grace. He gripped Kagome's legs, and pulled her tightly against himself, loving the feel of her body wrapped so intimately around_ _his own._

 _He reminded himself that it was just a simple grave purification a few villages over. If they hurried, he could have them back by lunch and they could fit in a little 'alone time' before picking Aiko up from Sango._

 _"Kaze no Kizu!" The ground quaked as the attack hurled toward the spirit, that of an armor clad samurai of immense proportions. Tetsusaiga's attack was absorbed like it was nothing through the glowing purple stone set in the center of his chest._

 _"I grow stronger with each attack you throw at me hanyo!" He laughed maniacally. He threw his hand forward, sending a bolt of energy at Inuyasha's chest._

 _Inuyasha felt the arch of energy hit him like lightning, forcing his yoki to the surface to be drained away. He was sent flying back from the sheer force of it._

 _"Kotodashi!" Kagome screamed, running forward. She placed herself between Inuyasha and the spirit, shielding him with her body. "Stop this!" She demanded._

 _The samurai stared down at the priestess, his black eyes glinting madly. "Why do you protect that abomination? Is it not your duty to rid their taint from the world?"_

" _I protect those worthy of protecting, human or yokai." Kagome answered defiantly._

 _"Then you will die with him! I will wipe them all from existence!" Kotodashi bellowed. His massive body pulsed before being engulfed in a flowing black mass of demonic power._

 _"Kagome! NO!" Inuyasha yelled, landing hard against a stone grave marker with a loud crack. He felt weak from the attack, and he grunted, wiping sweat from his brow. He watched as Kotodashi's writhing form advance on his wife, helpless to get to her in time. She lifted both of her hands, training one on the spirit, the other palm facing behind._

 _"Stay back Inuyasha!" Kagome ordered seconds before she erected a barrier between them. Inuyasha felt his stomach sink like a stone, and he jumped to his feet. He ran full speed at the barrier, praying that it would give way to him, but he found himself repelled backward, it as unforgiving as a stone wall._

 _"Don't do this!" Inuyasha begged. "We can do this together! Just let me through!" He knew that purifying something this large would cost a great deal of Kagome's power. The exertion alone could kill her._

 _"I can't do that. Kotodashi is feeding off of your yoki. If he gets any stronger he'll kill you! I have to purify him. It's the only way!" Kagome answered. She turned around and smiled at him, tears streaming down her face. "Give Haru a kiss from me, okay?"_

 _"You can do it yourself wench!" Inuyasha pleaded, beating his fists against the barrier with all of his strength._

" _I love you so much." she told him before turning fully toward the ancient samurai's writhing spirit. The energy surging from her hands glowed blindingly, clashing against the blackness like a tidal wave before it engulfed everything in bright white light. "Wait for me..." her voice echoed softly on the wind._

 _"KAGOME!" Inuyasha bellowed as he watched Kagome's silhouette fade. With one last large blast he was flung backward again, landing hard against another gravestone. This time the force of it broke the rock in two, knocking the wind from his lungs. When he managed to right himself the Kotodashi's spirit was gone, and Kagome along with it. "NOOOO!" He screamed, reaching for Tetsusaiga._

 _"Meido Zangetsuha!" He bellowed, swinging Tetsusaiga at the open air. "Meido Zangetsuha! Meido Zangetsuha! Meido..."_

 _Tetsusaiga pulsed lightly, reverting to its rusted form. Inuyasha fell to his knees then, realizing that not even Tetsusaiga's Meido could reach where Kagome had gone. He fell to his knees, letting a wild cry escape him. The sound of it echoed for miles._

 _"Kagome... " he whispered to the silence. He dug his claws into the dirt beneath him. His grief was raw in his chest, like his heart has been ripped out leaving a gaping hole behind. Nothing mattered now that Kagome was gone. His life had no meaning without her in it._

' _Give_ _Haru_ _a_ _kiss_ _from_ _me_.' _her_ _voice_ _echoed_ _hauntingly_ _on_ _the_ _wind_.

0000

Inuyasha woke with a start, his pulse thrumming loudly in his ears. He sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead, glad for the coolness that still clung to the early spring air. The room was dark, but through the window he could just make out the first orange rays of the sun as it rose over the trees. The bedcovers felt warm and cozy in his post nightmare haze, and he was glad for the comfort, no matter how small.

His dreams of that awful day were vivid; he could still smell Kagome's tears, see the way they had sparkled in the light of her spiritual release. At first the dream had plagued him every night. It kept the pain of his grief fresh, and toyed with his sanity. Eventually they had tapered off, and now they only reared their ugly head once or twice a month. On those nights he couldn't sleep in the bed, choosing instead to sit himself on the floor with his back to the wall. That was where he had planted himself to keep watch over Haru the night before. He did not remember moving to the bed.

Haru.

He couldn't see her on the bed anymore.

Panic welled in Inuyasha's gut, irrational and wild. His nose told him she was close, but his brain wouldn't listen to reason. He flung the covers from himself, a flood of relief washing over him when he saw the small bundle of pup snuggled against his side, Kagome's locket resting against her chest. She suckled her little thumb as she slept peacefully. Her nightshirt had ridden up over her belly, and she shivered in the cool morning air.

How someone as wild and gruff as himself could take so easily to fatherhood he couldn't rightly answer. He had been so certain that he would be terrible at it until the moment Kagome had handed Haru to him the first time. She had been so tiny and helpless swaddled tightly in the crook of his arm, but it had been love at first sight. His heart had practically burst with it. He promised then that she would get the childhood he had been denied. This child would know she was safe, would know that she was loved.

He had almost failed her twice now. After Kagome's disappearance he had done his best to hold everything together, but he couldn't look at her without his guilt and grief overtaking him. He had thought Haru would be safest in the future with family, but since Mrs. Higurashi's death Sota had barely been able to take care of himself, let alone a child.

No, he couldn't let let himself think about that. Haru was with him now, that was really all that mattered. He had been absent for six months of her life, even missing her second birthday. He wouldn't miss another moment if he could help it.

Haru was so peaceful as she slept. She was the spitting image of her mother. Inuyasha felt his heart clench painfully at the thought. He wished so badly that Kagome were here now. He had spent months searching for any sign of her, anything that could help him get to where she had gone. So far though there had been nothing, not even as much as a whispered rumor. Perhaps he would visit Kaede later to see if she had heard any news.

He has taken Haru to visit the old priestess once before on her first day back. Kaede has been so happy to see her that she had burst into tears, which the hanyo had never seen her do before.

Inuyasha supposed that Kaede was already awake and tending to her duties as the village priestess. Even so, it was much too early to wake Haru yet. Pups needed plenty of rest. That meant there was time for him to get a few things done.

He took extra care not to jostle her as he slid out of bed, tucking her back into the bedcovers. Years of moving silently through the forest hunting prey came in handy as he snuck to the living room. He grabbed the water pail from beside the cooking pit to refill at the small stream nearby and headed outside.

The sky was now a soft grey split by the bright oranges and pinks of the sunrise. The forest air was a heady mixture of winter rot and new spring growth, and he breathed deeply, drawing the crisp air into his lungs. In the trees he could hear the beginning flutters of movement as the birds and other animals woke for the day. He yawned, stretching his muscles a bit as he relieved himself on a bush before continuing his morning routine.

The stream bubbled cheerfully, and he knelt on the bank to dip the pail into its shallow depths. It filled slowly, but he didn't mind killing the time. Being out among the trees was where he felt the most relaxed.

After the water pail was full and settled back inside the house he lit the cooking fire and got the rice steaming along with a few small fish from the stream. It was rather domestic of him, but even the wildest of beasts could become tame under the right circumstances. He knew deep down though that you could take the hanyo from the forest, but you couldn't take the forest from the hanyo. There had been a reason he had insisted on building their home in the woods. It was more tranquil for one, but mostly it was because the villagers rarely ventured into the woods of his forest.

He sat next to the cooking pit for a while, lazily poking at the coals in the fire when he finally heard Haru stir in the bedroom. She fussed softly, stumbling from the room rubbing her sleep heavy eyes with the backs of her hands. She was bare except for a diaper, her nightshirt apparently lost somewhere between the bed and the door. Her hair was a tangled mess, curling at odd angles around her face and ears. Inuyasha smiled, unable to contain his amusement at the adorable mess that was his daughter.

"Morning sleepy head." he chuckled, pulling the sleepy pup into his lap. She whined and snuffled against his shoulder, still not fully awake. He brushed her hair away from her face, planting kisses on her cheeks.

"No tickles Papa." she complained, shoving his chin away with her little hand.

Inuyasha ran his hand over his chin and felt the stubble that had grown in. He had been so preoccupied with caring for Haru the last few days he hadn't had much time to do more than splash his face with water every morning. He made a mental note to take care of it later if he had the time.

"You don't like my kisses?" he asked teasingly, rubbing his chin against her cheek again. Haru squealed loudly and squirmed in his arms. Inuyasha flattened his ears against the assault on his hearing and frowned. "Not so loud kid." He grumped.

"Want down!" Haru demanded, now fully awake and ready to run. He let her go and she scampered out of his reach, her face set in an angry pout.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. He'd seen that look before. It was the same face Kagome made when she was annoyed with him. It would seem that Haru's budding personality closely mirrored that of her mother's, and if that was even slightly true, he was in trouble.

The rest of the morning progressed smoothly enough though. Breakfast had been uneventful, and afterward Haru had held still long enough for him to get the both of them ready for the day. Inuyasha decided that he had given old Kaede plenty of time to complete her shrine duties.

He scooped Haru up as he headed out the door. "Let's go see Kaede." he said absently.

"Okay!" She enthused, her large golden eyes blinked up at him innocently. "Papa fly?"

"Alright, hold on tight!" He happily agreed, leaping into the air.

Haru was all smiles and giggles after they finished their run through the trees. They sailed passed the water flooded paddies tended by the villagers. A few looked up and waved to them as they ran by.

"We go fast!" Haru laughed.

"Do you like to go fast?" he laughed with her. Her head bobbed with enthusiasm, and she clasped her little hands together above her heart.

"Yeah yeah!"

He continued his run through the village, easily leaping from rooftop to rooftop as he made his way to Kaede's hut near the other side of town.

He landed on the roof of her hut silently, watching the old woman go about her morning. The old priestess crouched in the field beside her home, a gaggle of children gathered about her feet.

"Kaede-sama, what are you doing?" One of the young girls asked curiously.

"I am collecting the blossoms of this plant here. When steeped in a tea it is wonderful for relieving aches and pains after a hard day's work."

"My father is always saying how much his back aches at the end of the day! May I take some home for him?"

"Me too?"

"I bet my Mother would like some of that!"

"And my Obachan!"

"Me too!"

The old woman smiled fondly and nodded. "Of course, as long as ye help collect enough. Each of ye take a basket."

"Yay!" Came the collective cheer as the children happily joined her in her task.

"Ye must be careful not to uproot the plant when harvesting the blossoms. If ye are gentle enough, they will blossom again and again until the end of summer." Kaede instructed, dropping a handful of the yellow flowers into her own basket.

"Kady obachan!" Haru chirped, mispronouncing the old woman's name. Kaede looked up then and waved at Haru, who gladly waved back.

"It is rude to lurk Inuyasha." Kaede scolded.

Inuyasha leapt from his rooftop perch and landed softly on his feet before the old woman. "Keh. I don't lurk."

He scoffed.

"Inu-oji!" Mine cheered, popping out of the gaggle of children to greet him. "I'm helping Kaede Obachan collect these flowers today. Papa is always saying how his back aches. I think this will help."

"Uh, That's... nice." Inuyasha greeted, setting Haru on her own two feet. The toddler quickly ducked behind him, clinging to his leg shyly as she stared at the unfamiliar children.

"Awe! You brought Haru-chan!" Mine exclaimed. Jumping to her feet excitedly, she bounded over. "You're so cute!" She cooed, reaching out her hand. Haru stared at her, honey eyes wide as she assessed the older girl, sniffing tentatively. "Would you like to help me pick flowers Haru-chan? If that's okay with you Inu-oji."

Haru's ears flicked in interest, but she stayed put, looking up to her father for assurance.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Inuyasha answered. He stepped aside letting Mine take Haru by the hand and lead her away.

"We're picking flowers Haru-chan! Would you like to help?" Mine asked dutifully, showing the toddler the delicate blossoms.

"Pretty flowers!" Haru gasped, happily dropping to the ground to grab one of her own.

Inuyasha turned his attention to Kaede. The old woman knelt in the grass, a large smile gracing her face.

"What?" He snapped, uncomfortable with the wistful look in the old woman's eyes.

"It's just— oh nothing." Kaede sighed, watching the toddler with a fond look in her eye. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?" Kaede asked, struggling to push herself to her feet. Inuyasha rolled his eyes then offered her a hand, easily pulling her to her feet. "Thank ye."

"Keh."

"Perhaps ye just missed my company?" The old woman teased.

"Ha! Not likely." Inuyasha snorted, although there was no real bite to his retort. The old woman had a way of getting on his nerves with her nagging and scolding, but in truth she was as much family to him now as Miroku and Sango had become. "I just came to see if you had heard any rumors."

Kaede sighed heavily. "I haven't heard anything new I'm afraid." She shook her head solemnly. Inuyasha frowned. He'd had a feeling that would be her answer. "But while I have ye, I have a few things I could use help with."

"Getting lazy in your old age?" Inuyasha joked lightly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hardly. These old bones can't seem to keep up with me like they used to." She grumbled, shooting him a quelling glance, which he promptly ignored.

"You humans wear out too easily." He snorted. "Tell me what you need doing already. I don't have all day."

Kaede shook her head disapprovingly, but wisely kept her mouth shut. Years of dealing with the hanyo's rude remarks taught her that correcting was a wasted effort, he has a habit of tuning her out when she took a certain tone. "We aren't all blessed with the longevity of yokai blood. Follow me inside then." She huffed, making her way toward her hut.

Inuyasha spared a glance at Haru, who was happily plucking blossoms with the other children. Satisfied that she was occupied for the time being, he followed Kaede inside.

Haru loved flowers, so when Mine showed her how to gently pluck the pretty blossoms she had happily joined in.

As the minutes ticked by, one by one the other children gathered closer, wanting a better look at the newest addition to their group.

"Awe! She's such a cute baby!" Rini cooed, dropping to her knees beside Haru. She brushed her wavy locks behind her ear and leaned low, getting cheek to cheek with Haru. "Hello Haru-chan." Rini cooed, touching Haru gently on the shoulder.

The toddler leaned away slightly, but otherwise ignored her, training her attention on the flowers instead.

"Is Inuyasha-sama really her father?" Hiro asked, studying Haru curiously.

"Uh huh. Can't ya tell? She looks just like him!" Mine nodded. "And Kagome-oba is her mama too."

"Pretty flowers!" Haru interrupted, proudly showing off her handful of blossoms for inspection.

"Good job Haru!" Mine praised warmly.

"She's so cute I could die!" Another girl, Akina giggled.

Haru hummed happily to herself, carefully dropping a handful into the large basket like she'd been shown.

"Pfft. She's not cute." Hideki, the village headman's grandson, and budding bully scoffed. He was large for his young age, a fact that he was fully aware of, and frequently used to his advantage. He shoved several other children aside as he made his way over, stopping just short of Haru's sitting place. He had a wicked gleam in his eye as he gave the toddler the once over. "I mean, look at that weird hair, and these dopey ears!" He sneered. He reached forward without warning and grabbed one of Haru's ears with a rough yank.

"Ahhhh!" Haru wailed at the sharp pain, her little arms flailing helplessly. "No! Owweeee!"

"That's right, cry you little freak! Freaks like you deserve everything they get!" He raised his fist high, readying to strike.

"Leave her alone Hideki!" Mine yelled.

Hideki's grin widened, his dark eyes flashing with excitement. "Ha! My Obachan says that hanyo don't deserve to even be born." His fist contacted with a sickening thud against Haru's side, followed by a second strike, a third against her arm, and a forth across her

cheek.

Haru curled up into a tight ball and bawled, unable to defend herself against Hideki's assault.

"Cry all you want little baby. Nobody is going to help you."

"Hideki, stop! You're hurting her!" Mine yelled again. The boy grinned at her, aiming another blow at Haru. Mine took action then, jumping over Haru, curling around the toddler like a shield.

"Dirty hanyo lover! You're no better than they are!" His fists landed one after the other against Mine, but she refused to budge.

Hideki suddenly found himself yanked upward by the scruff of his shirt. A deep threatening snarl made the hackles on the back of his neck stand on end. He blanched, sparing a glance upward. Inuyasha glared down at him, fangs bared threateningly.

"Help! I'm being attacked by the vicious hanyo! He's going to eat me!" Hideki yelped, kicking his feet madly as he attempted to get away.

Golden eyes flashed, and the grown hanyo leaned over the child. "If I ever catch you touching my daughter or Mine like again you little shit, I will eat you. " He hissed. He tossed Hideki, letting him land in a heap on the ground.

Hideki spared a hateful glance at Inuyasha as he righted himself. "I'm going to tell my Obachan about this! Filthy half breed!" He yelled over his shoulder as he scurried away.

The other children stared at Inuyasha, eyes wide with equal parts fear and awe. He knelt beside Mine, and they scattered like mice, terrified by the fury in his eyes. He clenched his jaw and swallowed, ignoring them as he gently touched Mine's arm.

The girl slowly uncurled herself from around Haru. Blood trickled slowly from her nose, but she didn't seem to notice.

Haru cried loudly, large tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

Without hesitation he scooped her up. A large red bruise was already forming across her chin and right cheek, and he growled again, snuggling her against his chest. He shouldn't have let that little fucker off so easily.

"Inu-oji!" Mine cried then, jumping up to cling to him. She buried her face in his haori and wailed. Inuyasha sighed and wrapped his arm around her too, patting her back.

"You okay kiddo?" He asked softly. Mine shook her head.

"Bring the girls inside." Kaede instructed. Inuyasha grunted his understanding and lifted both girls up, heading inside Kaede's home. "Hiro, go and fetch Mine's mother. Quickly now!"

The boy squeaked, his foot slipping in the dirt as he scrambled to a running start.

Inuyasha awkwardly lowered himself to the ground, doing his best not to squash the girls as he found a seat. They clung to him, faces buried in his shirt as they cried.

He flattened his ears against his head, unable to quell the guilt that had planted itself in his chest.

Kaede stepped inside after a moment and grabbed a cloth from a basket and dipped into the water bin. She wrung it out and scooted close, resting her wrinkled hand on Mine's shoulder.

"Mine my dear, we must stop your nose from bleeding." She explained, tucking Mine's dark hair behind her ear.

The girl sat up, looking up revealing the bruise that was forming under her left eye. She took a shaky breath and hiccuped, blood trickling from her nose down her chin. Kaede invited Mine closer with a wave of her hand and pulled the girl into her own lap to wipe her clean.

Inuyasha busied himself with Haru, who was wailing loudly, tears and snot running down her cheeks. A red bruise was forming over her right cheek.

"Inuyasha, ye must check her for broken bones." Kaede told him, and he nodded. Haru continued to wail as he stripped her clothes off, running his hands over her skin in search of anything obvious. To his relief he only found a large bruise on the side of her torso, blooming dark under her tender skin.

"Son of a bitch." He cursed. He had to fight the urge to put a hole in Kaede's floor with his fist, instead choosing to focus on calming Haru.

"Is Haru alright?" Kaede asked, her arm wrapped around Mine as she pinched a cloth over the girl's nose to stem the bleeding.

"Does this look alright to you?" Inuyasha bit out, turning to show Kaede the bruises that covered his daughter's little body. She clung to him tightly, resting her face against his neck, as he rubbed her back. The action was as much to soothe her as him.

"My kami." Kaede gasped. "How awful. Nothing is broken though?"

"That little bastard is lucky nothing is broken." He growled.

"Inuyasha." Kaede chided. "Watch your tongue around the children." The hanyo glared daggers at the old woman. "I understand ye are angry, but it doesn't help anything to curse."

"It helps _me_ feel better." He growled through gritted teeth.

Kaede rolled her eyes. "Mine, hold this tightly to your nose." She instructed, placing Mine's hand against the cloth held to her nose before she grabbed another cloth and dunked it into the water. "Here." She sighed, offering it to Inuyasha. "The cool water should help with swelling." She explained.

Inuyasha accepted the damp cloth with a curt nod. He adjusted Haru so she sat nestled in his lap and placed the cool cloth against her side. Haru's cries intensified once more and he winced sympathetically. "I'm sorry baby girl. I know it's cold, but it'll make you feel better."

"No cold Papa! No cold!" Haru whimpered, scrabbling at the cloth with her fingers.

"Stop Haru. It needs to stay there." He scolded, grabbing her hand away. The toddler sniffled and leaned against him, hiccuping between whimpers. Inuyasha's anger slowly ebbed, giving way to a deep sense of guilt.

If only he hadn't left the girls alone, none of this would have happened. He knew well the blind hatred some people held against yokai, but it has been years since anyone in this village had expressed

"Inu-oji?"

Inuyasha was pulled from his thoughts by Mine's hand on his arm. She looked at him, a dark bruise of her own forming around her left eye. He opened his arm then, and she fell into him, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry." She offered softly. Inuyasha hugged her in return.

"It ain't your fault kid." He sighed heavily. Mine looked up at him, a deep frown marring her innocent face.

"But Hideki hurt Haru because I couldn't—"

Inuyasha cut her off with a quelling glare. "It wasn't your fault." He reiterated.

"Is Haru okay?" She asked. Haru's cries had died to hiccups, but she still clung to him tightly, her face burried in the front of his haori.

"She'll be alright thanks to you." Inuyasha said, giving her another hug with his free arm.

"I swear, if I ever get my hands on that boy, he'll regret laying hands on anyone!" Sango growled, punching the floor beside her.

"Believe me, I seriously thought about hunting him down myself. I still might." Inuyasha groused, adjusting Haru in his arms. She had finally fallen asleep a little while ago, and now napped peacefully snuggled against his shoulder. Inuyasha hadn't been able to redress Haru without agitating the bruise on her side, so he draped it over her like a blanket.

"I agree that the boy deserves a good thrashing. But perhaps it would be wise to tread lightly."Kaede reasoned.

"What good would that do? That boy had no business doing what he did to Haru. And then going after Mine for defending her. My blood boils just thinking about it!" Sango argued.

Kaede nodding in agreement, resting her hands in her lap. "It pains me to admit this, but not every person in the village is comfortable with Inuyasha's presence here. There could be backlash."

"He beat up a toddler! Who her father is shouldn't matter!" Sango snapped.

"I hate to play devil's advocate," Miroku interjected. Up until then he has sat listening quietly with Mine in his lap. "But I agree with Kaede. It would be wise to tread lightly. Or are you forgetting who the boy's grandfather is? Or his grandmother?"

"Of course I hadn't forgotten." Sango rolled her eyes. "Why should it matter that Yamato is his grandfather?"

"It matters quite a lot. Yamato might tolerate Inuyasha's presence, but that may not extend to threatening his grandson." Miroku explained. "And his wife Emiko isn't exactly subtle in her dislike of yokai."

Inuyasha had heard enough. "I'm tired of this shit." He snapped. "I get that most people don't see more than a dirty mongrel when they look at me, and I'm used to it by now. But if they think I'm going to let them chase me out of my home for defending my own kid, they're in for a hell of a fight."

"If it comes to that, ye have our full support Inuyasha . Hopefully it won't." Kaede sighed heavily.

"Do you think Emiko will cause any trouble?" Miroku asked, adjusting his feet under him.

"I could almost guarantee it." Kaede said without hesitation. "Although, we'll see what comes of it. Yamato My cousin is a fair man. He does not jump to conclusions as easily as his wife. Perhaps it would be wise to go to him with this matter."

"This is just fucking ridiculous. All this fuss over me doing my job to protect my own pup." Inuyasha snapped. He was glad that he still held Haru, because if his hands had been free he would surely have put a hole through the wall with his fist.

"I don't disagree Inuyasha. Unfortunately, if Emiko makes a big enough stink Yamato will have no choice but to listen. This has the potential to go very wrong. I have heard many a story of peaceful yokai being driven from their homes for lesser offenses." Kaede pointed out.

"Keh. You've heard stories, but I've seen it happen. Hell, I've lived it." The hanyo said, his words weighing heavy on his friends minds.

"I could get the twins to watch the younger ones tonight.

You could leave Haru with them while we meet with Yamato."

"No." He answered matter of factly.

"Inuyasha, this will be no place for a small child." Kaede interjected.

"I said no. She ain't leaving my sight." The hanyo's tone left no room for argument. "That old bat needs to have her nose rubbed in the mess her snot nosed grandkid caused."

"Well, I supposed it's settled then." Kaede sighed heavily. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her gut that this was only the beginning of their trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

As it turned out, Kaede's sense of unease had been correct. When they had approached the headman's compound they were stopped at the gate by a guard. He informed them that Lord Yamato was away on business to another village in the region, and would not be back for a week.

"Seriously?" Inuyasha snapped, glaring daggers at the guard.

"I am sorry Inuyasha-sama. I am sure that Yamato-sama will gladly hear your grievances when he returns. Lady Emiko is busy attending to an urgent family matter and has requested that all non-family members be turned away."

"Well, it was worth a shot." Miroku sighed, shrugging his arms defeatedly. "Perhaps we ought to head home for lunch."

"How in the world can you be so calm?" Sango hissed. "It's infuriating."

"My dear, I assure you that I may appear calm on the outside, but I am seething with malcontent under the surface. I just know that it will do us no good to make a fuss when there is nothing we can do for now."

"I understand your frustration Sango dear, but your husband is correct. Until Yamato returns from his trip, there is nothing we can do. Now, I think it would all be for the best if we headed home. It's been a long morning, and I know that I could use a meal and perhaps a nice rest."

"Well, I suppose we should be getting back home. The twins and Satoru are there alone, and I would rather not tempt fate by leaving them that way for much longer." Sango answered defeatedly. The tone was unfitting of the once proud taijiya. "Inuyasha, Kaede, would you like to join us for lunch?"

Inuyasha shook his head. As much as he appreciated his friend's offer, he felt like he needed some time and space to think. "I'm going to take Haru home." He said, adjusting her little body against his shoulder. She was dozing for now, but the fact that she wasn't a screaming mess was a miracle in itself.

"I will accompany the two of ye home." Kaede said. It was not a question, but Inuyasha wasn't going to argue with the old woman. Perhaps it might even be nice to have someone there to keep his mind from wandering down dark paths.

Inuyasha kept his pace slow so Kaede could keep up. She was nearing her mid seventies, and although her mind showed now sign of slowing, her body had other ideas. She walked with her shoulder's hunched, and a limp in her step aided by a large wooden cane that Inuyasha had crafted for her a few years prior.

The cane made a soft clink in the dirt as they walked passed the village center where the bonfire was lit every night. There were not as many guards on patrol at this time of day, but two were still stationed high above in the wooden tower to keep an eye out for raiders or yokai.

As they passed people in the village, Inuyasha offered them a polite nod of his head as he usually did, but less of them seemed to return his greeting. Although most of the villagers answered with a wave and a smile in return a few women saw him coming and gathered their children inside before he passed by.

"Do not pay them any mind." Kaede offered kindly.

"I don't." Inuyasha huffed, although it wasn't entirely true. It did bother him that these people, who up until today had treated him with kindness and acceptance suddenly viewed him as a threat. Could world have already spread of how he had lost his temper with that kid?

"Do not lie to this old woman." Kaede groused, poking him in the side with her cane. "I suppose word could have already spread of what happened. Children are often eager to tell their parents when something exciting happens. And I must say, you put the fear of kami into them. I've never seen them scatter so quickly." Kaede chuckled.

"Keh." Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He hadn't meant to scare the other children, just that little bastard brat. He supposed that telling the that he would eat him may have been overkill, but in the heat of the moment he hadn't really been thinking about consequences, he had just been protecting Haru.

Inuyasha was lost in his own thoughts as they continued their way to his home in the forest. He was so caught up that he didn't notice when Haru tapped his shoulder for his attention. "Papa?" She asked, but received no response. The toddler did not appreciate being ignored, especially when she was hungry. Instead of risking being ignored again, Haru lifted her little hand and tapped her father's cheek insistently. "Papa! Papa! Papa!"

"What is it?" Inuyasha snapped, glaring down at her for so rudely pulling him from his thoughts.

"Tummy really hungry Papa." She explained urgently, leaning back just enough to pat her little belly. "We eat now?" Her large honey eyes looked up at him with such an earnest innocence that he was taken aback and forced to stop in his tracks for a moment.

Kaede chuckled. Only one other person had earned that type of reaction from Inuyasha, and she had birthed the child he now held so closely. The old woman missed Kagome's absence as much as Inuyasha did. Perhaps not as acutely, but still, her heart ached for the young woman that had become like own child in the years since her return.

"When we get home." Inuyasha answered curtly as he continued on.

"Tummy hungry Papa." Haru repeated. "Tummy want Pockey!" She added, hoping that perhaps she might get her favorite treat.

"I don't have Pockey." Inuyasha explained, he was doing his best to keep his voice calm and his tone even.

"Papa, tummy sad. Pockey yummy yummy." Haru frowned, rubbing her belly forlornly.

"We'll eat lunch when we get home. We're almost there." He explained.

"Tummy not want lunch. Tummy want yummy pockey please."

Inuyasha had to think quickly. What could he do to distract her from her craving for the futuristic treats? One of the village women had given him several sweet cakes as thanks for helping catch her chickens after a winter storm had knocked part of their pen over. "That's too bad because I have sweet cakes for after lunch. Only good girls that eat all of their lunch can have one."

Haru's little ears perked at the mention of sweet cakes. "Tummy want sweet cake!" She enthused.

"Only if you eat your lunch like a good girl."

"Am good girl, Papa. _Good_ good girl!"

"Well, look at that. We're home now." He said, stopping just before the front door.

"Eat lunch now?" Haru asked as he set her on her feet.

"I need to warm it up. Can you help Kaede-Obachan?"

"Ok. Kady Obachan! Me help!" Haru chirped, bouncing excitedly.

"Of course my dear. Thank ye. Can ye hold my hand and help me inside?" The old priestess asked.

"Yes!" Haru answered, grabbing Kaede's free hand and leading her inside the hut while Inuyasha held the matting open for them.

The toddler walked carefully, her little tongue stuck out from between her lips as she concentrated on her task. Once Kaede was inside, she helped put the old woman's shoes in the little cubby by the door and even found her a cushion to sit on.

"Ye are such a good helper. Thank ye Haru." Kaede praised as she settled in. The toddler beamed brightly and clapped her hands.

"Yay! Good helper!" She said with a happy giggle. "Lunch Papa? Am hungry." She asked, turning to tug on her father's sleeve as he sat beside the cooking pit warming the rice and vegetables from earlier that day. It had stayed relatively warm inside the iron cooking pot, so it didn't take long for the water he added to come to a boil and soften it up again.

Inuyasha reached over and grabbed three bowls from the shelf and ladled some fish and vegetables over rice then handed one to Kaede with a pair of chopsticks. "Come sit down." He said to Haru, patting his knee. The little girl quickly did as she was told and took a seat on her father's lap, watching as he put a small amount in a bowl and scooted forward so her tummy was flush with the low table. "Careful, it's hot." He told her as he handed her a spoon.

"Hot." Haru parroted.

"Yes. Hot. Blow on it like this." He explained. He used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish and blew on it gently before putting it in his mouth. Haru used her spoon to scoop up some food and carefully blew on it just like she'd been shown, or at least that's what she thought. What she really did was blow a big fat raspberry that knocked a chunk of vegetable onto her yukata. When she was satisfied that it was cool enough she then put the food in her mouth.

"That was very good Haru." Kaede praised from across the tale. "Now take another bite."

Haru was determined to eat all of her food. She sang to herself as she ate, chiming, "Good girl, good girl, good girl," Softly between bites. When she put the last spoonful in her mouth she proudly lifted her empty bowl up to show her father that she had finished every last bit.

"Look Papa. All done! Sweet cake?"

"Hold on. I still have to finish my lunch." He chided gently through a bite of food.

"Eat lunch all gone! Only good Papa get sweet cake." She explained, patting his head encouragingly. Kaede tried to hide her laughter behind her hand, but a loud snort escaped when she couldn't contain herself. Inuyasha growled low at the old woman, but otherwise kept his mouth shut. He knew why Kaede was laughing. Kagome had said almost that exact phrase a few times during their travels for the jewel shards. Ramen had been his preferred choice of treat back then. Kagome had often used that knowledge to get him to do things he wouldn't ordinarily have done. Kagome would probably be rolling on the floor if she had witnessed her own daughter mirroring her so perfectly.

As funny as it was, it was still embarrassing to be spoken to like that by his own child. He swallowed his bite of food and forced a smile. "Thank you Haru. Why don't go play while I finish eating?" Haru's sweet smile turned into a heart melting pout.

"Lunch all gone. Am good girl." Haru whimpered, showing him her empty bowl again.

"Yes, I know you're a good girl. I will get you one in just a little bit. You have to wait until the grown ups are done eating."

"Ok, Papa." She sniffed dramatically, slowly toddling from the table to the back room with her head hung low.

"Oh brother." Inuyasha sighed, rolling his eyes when Haru had disappeared.

"There is a lot of her mother in her." Kaede chuckled. "I don't think I've had such a good laugh in a long time."

"Glad to sacrifice my dignity for your entertainment." Inuyasha groused dryly. "Should I offer up my pride next?"

"Don't pout Inuyasha. It's unbecoming of a man your age." Kaede scolded. "I'm just glad she's so cheerful after what happened this morning. I was worried she might shut down. She's a remarkable child, and ye are a good father."

"Thanks, I guess. I'm trying." He took another bite of food, choosing to focus on chewing rather than the reddening of his face. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by fatherhood. However, nobody, least of all himself had expected him to get to this phase of life, let alone be good at it. He had grown up being told that he was a crude, unrefined disgusting tainted mongrel savage. How could he possibly procreate and not end up killing any offspring of his own? He was too rough, to quick to anger, and too violent.

Yet here he was, nurturing and caring for his own child like nobody had ever expected him to do. Not once had he ever hurt her with his claws. He was so careful, so gentle. He rocked her to sleep, bathed and clothed her, kissed her oweis, played with her, scared the monsters from her bad dreams away.

Still, as hard as he tried, he hadn't been able to keep her safe from the deep seeded prejudice against their kind. It had taken him a long time to be okay with his own heritage, but Kagome had been a huge part of that. He knew because of her that there was nothing wrong with being a part of two worlds. But just because he had finally become okay with it didn't mean everyone else had. Now Haru had been hurt by some snot nosed brat who not only believed he was better than everybody else, but especially her because of her mixed blood.

If his actions to defend his own child from being beaten made people see him as nothing more than a monster, then fuck them. If their kindness hinged on his ability to appear harmless while keeping the village safe from vandals and yokai, he didn't want it. He could still be a good father to his daughter without their approval.

"Sweet cake now Papa?"

Haru's soft voice broke Inuyasha from his downward spiral into darkness. He couldn't go there again, not when he had everything to lose. He took a moment to get to his feet and collect himself. He smiled and offered Haru his hand. "Sure baby girl." He answered, walking with her to where he had them stored inside a woven basket. He carefully unwrapped them from the cloth that protected the delicate sweets from crumbling.

He handed one of the cakes to Haru, who smiled brightly, then without a second thought ran to Kaede and placed it in the old woman's hand. "Kady-obasan, sweet cake for you!" She said sweetly, then ran back again. Inuyasha had another one ready for her, and she happily accepted it, taking an enthusiastic bite from her treat.

"Mmmm! Yummy!" She enthused through a mouthful. "You eat. You good Papa, eat lunch all gone! Kady-obaasan good too! " Haru giggled happily. This time Inuyasha did laugh. How could he not, when despite being beaten black and blue his daughter still managed to be such a kind, sweet, happy child?

"That was delightful." Kaede sighed contentedly. "What did you think Haru?"

"Yummy! Thank you Papa!" Haru grabbed his leg into her arms and hugged tightly. "Me play now, bye bye." She chattered before she was off to the back room once more.

"I truly wish Kagome were here to see her grow up." Kaede sighed wistfully.

"You and me both." Inuyasha agreed.

"I'm sorry that there was no news this morning. Even with the people traveling through the village this time of year, I have heard no stories of any priestess."

"It's not your fault baba. You can't tell me about what you don't know. I'm not giving up though. She's not gone, and I will find her."

"I believe you will." Kaede said with a smile.

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of a window smashing loudly, followed by Haru's terrified cries as she came running for him, arms outstretched as she sought safety. For the second time that day Haru was curled up against him, reduced to tears. He held her close to himself as he investigated the source of the commotion.

There, in the middle of the floor mat was a large stone, bigger than his hand, where it landed after crashing through the window, smashing the wooden frame on the right side so badly that it also damaged part of the wall.

"Inuyasha! You son of a bitch!"

Haru flinched, crying into his neck in fear. Inuyasha growled, picked up the rock and headed for the front door of his home. He didn't know who would be stupid enough to pull a stunt like this, but they were going to regret it. He held the rock in his clenched fist, feeling it crack under his strength as he moved passed Kaede.

"Inuyasha, violence will solve nothing." She warned.

"I haven't done anything violent yet baba." He seethed, and the priestess could have sworn she saw his golden eyes flash red for a moment. Quickly she grabbed her cane and hurried after him.

"Come out and fight with someone who can fight back you fucking coward!"

"You throw a rock at my house that almost hits my daughter, and you have the guts to call me a fucking coward?" Inuyasha snarled, coming face to face with a boy barely seventeen years old.

"You had it coming you filthy half breed. Why don't you fight someone your own size! Or does beating up little kids make you feel powerful?" The boy spat, his eyes wild with rage.

"Who the hell are you kid? Where did you hear that I beat kids for shits and giggles?" Inuyasha asked.

"Inuyasha, that's Hirohito, Hideki's brother." Kaede said as she moved beside him.

"I saw it with my own eyes! The claw marks on my brother's back and shoulders! Your brat scarred him for life you piece of shit."

"Hirohito, Inuyasha did not lay a hand on your brother, and neither did little Haru. Hideki was the one doing the harm." Kaede explained, taking a few steps toward the boy.

"Why are you defending them? I saw the bloody gashes myself. His hell spawn turned claws on my brother. It's only a matter of time before it hurts someone else." Hirohito yelled.

"No Hirohito. I witnessed it myself. Your brother was hurting Inuyasha's daughter and niece. He only pulled Hideki off in defense of them, and then let him go. Your brother was uninjured when he left."

"That yokai has put you under a spell. How could you spout such lies? My brother is laying in bed crying in pain. He could bleed to death, and you defend this disgusting hanyo instead of treating his wounds! I ran to your house for help, but I found you here instead. I will make sure his evil presence can never taint our village again!" Hirohito pulled a sword from a scabbard hidden under the back of his kimono and brandished it.

"Show him." Kaede said, nodding toward Hirohito.

"Show him what? This kid doesn't even believe you." Inuyasha snapped, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Show him Haru's bruises. Perhaps if he sees the damage that his brother inflicted then he might be talked down."

Inuyasha growled through gritted teeth, but he didn't want to maim this kid for what he believed was defending his brother. Carefully so he wouldn't cause her pain, Inuyasha turned Haru so the large black bruises on her cheek and chin were clearly visible.

"Your brother beat this little child without reason or cause, and he beat Miroku-sama's daughter for defending her. Inuyasha was only protecting them when he pulled Hideki off. With my own eyes, I witnessed your brother raise his hands against this baby. Look at her bruises, Hirohito. How, if your brother was injured so terribly by this child did he manage to beat her so badly?" Kaede reasoned.

"That abomination went berserk, and my brother was only defending his life." Hirohito lifted the sword above his head and readied himself to attack, but hesitated when Kaede yelled.

"STOP!"

"They deserve to die. All yokai are evil, and they must be killed before they kill us." The boy said, his body suddenly wracked with deep angry sobs. Despite his words, he remained frozen to the spot with the sword held above his head.

"No Hirohito." Kaede soothed, closing the distance between them. Inuyasha kept his eyes open for any sign that this kid would hurt the priestess. "My boy, you are not a killer. If you truly believe what you say, wait until your grandfather returns and bring it before him to judge fairly. Do not taint your soul in the name of revenge." She pleaded.

A loud sob escaped Hirohito, and he dropped the sword to the ground. Kaede carefully kicked the weapon toward Inuyasha where it would no longer be a threat to anyone. The hanyo breathed a sigh of relief as Kaede embraced the boy, doing her best to help calm him down. "Hirohito, I will come with you to treat your brother's wounds. Please, lead the way." She said before she turned to Inuyasha and whispered so only he heard her words. "Please stay safe Inuyasha. Please." And with that she followed Hirohito back to the village.

Haru continued to cry into Inuyasha's shoulder, her little hands gripping him so tightly he feared she might hurt herself if he tried to remove her. Instead he dropped the rock he held and wrapped both of his arms around her, holding her close and kissing her hair as she cried in fear for the second time today. The once solid rock fell to the ground in a brittle, broken heap of gravel and dust like a piece of dry clay, unnoticed by either the hanyo or his child.

Hello again my lovely, amazing, awesome readers!

I am so glad to finally have something to post for you after such a long *cough* brain fart *cough* break from writing! I wanted so badly to write, but inspiration kept alluding me due to a mixture of lack of ideas, kids being home for the summer, and now being tired all the time because I'm pregnant with baby number three.

You can thank my hubby for this chapter. He was like, "pull an all nighter and write and I'll buy you doughnuts in the morning" and my pregnant butt was like "Heck yes I want doughnuts!" I felt so validated and understood that I got to writing and didn't stop all night! So there you have it! I truly hope that you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it and eating my doughnuts for breakfast(They were chocolate with sprinkles :), and they were so yummy!).


	5. Chapter 5

The warm spring sun felt glorious against the old priest's wrinkled and weather-worn skin. Old Kiyoshi smiled to himself as he carefully continued down the familiar pathway down the mountain from his home shrine. It was that time of year when the harsh winter snows finally melted enough to travel down the mountainside. He would wander around the country from village to village aiding folk in their spiritual needs. Usually he would pick his most adept pupil to accompany him, but this year things were being done differently. All of his pupil's but one, Ryota, had abandon the shrine over the harsh winter. Although young Ryota was devoted to his spiritual practice, he lacked a sense of inner strength needed to become a priest. There was no questioning the young priest's moral conviction or devotion however. And with only the two of them attending the shrine it had seemed unlikely that his tradition would continue. That was until about two months ago, in the dead of a winter storm the old priest had seen a bright glowing light appear near the top of the mountain above the shrine. He had been praying to the shrine Kami to ease the burden of the storm when he noticed the blinding light in the distance.

Thinking the Kami had answered his prayers for divine intervention, Kiyoshi had trudged his way through the snow to the peak. There he discovered what he believed to be a goddess come to earth to aid them in their time of greatest need. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever witnessed, her skin glowing like the light of the moon as she floated down from the heavens, landing softly in a heap on the snow covered peak. He had carefully wrapped her in his thick winter haori to keep her warm and preserve her modesty and carried her down the mountain on his back.

He called her Katsuki, for she had shone as brightly as the full moon on a clear night. Katsuki was far more than just a divine beauty; she also proved to be incredibly spiritually gifted. She had an innate talent for calming unsettled spirits, and purifying evil from anything with just the touch of a single finger. Her skills with a bow were easily the best he had ever witnessed, as she never seemed to miss her target. The old priest regarded his new charge gently though, as she seemed to be of delicate mind on occasion. He had seen a far off look in her eyes whenever a mother and child had ventured to the shrine in fair weather to leave offerings. Her eyes would tear up, and her hand would absently touch her belly. Kiyoshi thought nothing of it however, for if he had his way she would become Ryota's wife, and together they would care for the shrine after his death.

"Do not dawdle Katsuki. We must reach our first destination before nightfall." the old priest chided lightly. He heard the young woman's steps pick up their pace before falling into step beside him, and he smiled with satisfaction.

"Kiyoshi-sama, are you sure that Ryota shouldn't be joining you on your journey? He is the most senior pupil. Surely he would be the more qualified choice." the young woman offered. "I would be honored to care for the shrine in your absence."

"My dear Katsuki, I know that you question my judgment in this decision, but believe me when I tell you that I chose the most qualified of you to join me. Do not doubt your abilities. You are a gift to us from the Kami." Kiyoshi answered unwaveringly.

Warm brown eyes averted as Katsuki bowed her head. "I will do my best to work diligently, and learn from your experience Kiyoshi-sama."

"Now, we have a ways to go, and this path is quite steep. Keep your wits about you." the old man said with a satisfied nod. They had travelled a good ways down the mountain when he suddenly felt a powerful youki in the dense forest above them. It gave him a sense of unease, and he froze, holding his hand up to stop Katsuki.

"Lord Sesshomaru, when will I be able to visit Lady Kaede again?"

A young lady, no more than fifteen stepped onto the path from the dense woods above. She wore a beautifully woven gold and white silk kimono, much too fine to be worn as travel attire. A tall yokai in pale clothing clad in armor emerged from the trees behind her. His long flower silver hair shone brightly in the sunlight.

Kiyoshi pulled a banishing spell scroll from inside his coat and held it at the ready. "Young lady, come away from there! You are in grave danger!" he warned.

The girl turned around and looked at him curiously, but did not move. She clearly was not the least bit concerned that she was in the presence of one of the most powerful yokai he had ever encountered. Her dark eyes moved from the old priest to Katsuki, and she smiled brightly, as if in recognition.

"Kagome-sama!" she greeted warmly, her face lit with a brilliant smile. "I am surprised to see you! Where is Inuyasha-sama? Is he close by?" she asked.

"I-I"m sorry?" Katsuki stammered, looking from the young girl to the yokai standing stoically behind her. She felt a sudden pang in her chest, as if there was something familiar about his long silver hair and honey eyes. The eyes were wrong though. They should be warm and welcoming, not icy cold. She shook the thought from her head immediately.

Katsuki stared at the girl with a blank expression. "Do you know Katsuki?" Kiyoshi asked. The girl giggled.

"I am sorry. I thought that you were someone else. You look very much like my Lord's brother's wife." the girl, Rin explained.

"Rin, we must continue." the yokai said, his voice cold and emotionless. He turned, flicking his sliver hair over his shoulder with his clawed hand as he turned to leave. The action gave Katsuki a sudden vision of silver on red, and for just the flash of a second she felt the overwhelming feeling that she needed to follow this mysterious yokai, but she quickly brushed the feeling away. Clearly he must be playing tricks on her mind, though something in the very back of her head told her he did not care for such trickery.

Kiyoshi-sama acted quickly, grabbing the young girl by the wrist before she could leave. She turned, giving him a quizzical look.

"Young lady. That yokai is dangerous. Please, stay here and we will protect you." he offered. But Rin just shook her head and smiled.

"Lord Sesshomaru is my protector." and with that she pulled herself free of his grip and scampered off without so much as a backward glance.

Inuyasha heard Haru giggle behind him as he held the finished window frame up with one hand while he tried to slide it into place with the other. "Look Papa!" She had enthused. "Splish splash!"

"Just a second." he managed to say, grunting as he struggled to fit the joint into the matching slot. Muttering curses under his breath, he finally managed to fit the window into the sliding frame. He sighed heavily and wiped the droplets of sweat from his brow. This had been one of those rare times when brute strength was of no use, and it had taken him much longer than he had first anticipated. Still, the job was finally finished.

"What were you saying squirt?" he asked, turning around to address his daughter. The clearing in front of their home where Haru had been playing was now empty, her toys left scattered haphazardly on the ground. He assumed that she was trying to hide for the umpteenth time today, as she seemed to love it when he discovered her hiding place-always behind the wooden barrel he kept to collect rain water.

"I wonder where Haru has gone? I just can't fine her." he exclaimed, his bafflement exaggerated for her amusement. He slowly tip toed closer to the barrel, then sneakily peeked over the top. There Haru sat in a puddle of mud, naked accept for her diaper, her yukata nowhere to be seen, smeared from head to toe in mud. Apparently she had discovered the tap near the bottom of the barrel and popped it open. She smiled and lifted her arms high, showing him her messy hands before smearing them through her hair, down her face to her belly. Inuyasha groaned.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he knelt down to her level. He was carful not to get any of the mess on himself, although he knew it was probably inevitable.

"Make mud!" she answered proudly, wiggling her legs through the muck.

"I can see that." he answered. his voice tired. "Where are your clothes?"

"Here!" Haru answered happily, grabbing what had appeared to be a large clod of mud. She shook it slightly and the fabric slowly unfurled itself with a nasty squelching sound. The fabric was so caked in muck that he could no longer see the color of the pattern. Inuyasha groaned. Why did toddlers have to always be so messy?

"Come on kiddo, we need to get you cleaned up." He grabbed ahold of Haru's arms and gently lifted her to her feet. There was a soft plopping sound as her mud heavy diaper slid down around her ankles. Haru stared down at it and pointed.

"Uh oh. It fall off!" she announced, looking back at her now bare backside with concern. Inuyasha chuckled deeply then, any previous feelings of irritation now forgotten. Leave it to a toddler to lighten the mood without even trying. This was one of those moments when he wished he had one of those camera things Kagome had used to take pictures with, because this was definitely a moment worth remembering.

"I see a naked bottom! I'm gunna spank it!" He teased, growling playfully as he gave chase. Haru squealed, giggling mirthfully as she toddled away as fast as she could. "You better go faster, or I'm gunna spank that bottom!"

"No Papa! No spank bottom!" Haru laughed.

"Yes, spank the bottom?" he teased, waggling his eyebrows.

"No!"

"Yes? Okay!" he laughed, scooping his pup up in one arm, gently swatting her backside with the other as Haru wriggled around trying to herself free. "I got it. I'm gunna spank it again!" he teased before swatting playfully twice more.

"Papa no spank Haru! Stop please!" Haru pleaded breathlessly through her giggles.

"But only naughty pups get spanked! Aren't you a naughty pup?" Inuyasha turned Haru and blew a raspberry on her belly, then wiped the mud from his face on the back of his sleeve.

"Haru not naughty Papa!"

"You're not?" He gasped, as if this was news to him. "But you got me all muddy! See?"

Haru looked up at her father and smiled. His entire front was smeared with mud, as well as his chin. "Muddy mess!" she giggled.

"I guess we both need a bath now." he answered, stopping at the edge of the stream. He tested the water's temperature with his foot, satisfied that it wasn't too cold, then squatted down, lowered Haru into the shallows. The pup happily knelt down to splash in the cool water, letting the mud on her arms and legs wash away in the lazy currant. Inuyasha got to work then; getting his hands wet he began scrubbing the muck from the rest of her skin, careful not to agitate her healing bruises. He cupped a little water in his hands and trickled it over Haru's head then got to work removing the clumps from her usually silver hair. She whined a few times when his fingers had gotten caught in a knot, but he carefully brushed through it with his fingers before continuing.

After a few minutes Haru was as clean as he could get her, splashing playfully at the little fish that swam around her toes. Inuyasha kept a watchful eye as he removed his outer fire rat haori and the cotton shirt. He dipped them into the water and scrubbed vigorously to remove the mud from them. When he was satisfied they were clean, he tossed them onto a nice large flat rock to dry in the sun. HIs keen eyes watched as the fish darted away with every swipe of Haru's little hands, seeking shelter in the deeper parts of the stream, but not to be deterred Haru followed suit. "That's far enough Haru." he warned.

She obediently took a few steps backward, but kept a weary eye open just in case the fish decided to return. He nodded his approval, then closed his eyes and leaned back, enjoying the feeling of the warm sun against his skin. He kept his ears trained toward the water, listening for any signs of struggle. He heard a soft giggle, then felt a splash of water spray his chest. "You better stop that." he told her. A moment later he was hit by another spray of water to the face. "What did you do that for?" he asked her, his brows knitted together in annoyance.

"Papa gots mud on you face. Haru help!" she answered. She dipped her hands into the cool water then leaned forward, dutifully rubbing the mud from his chin. The adult hanyo felt his annoyance melt away to nothing, and he relaxed, letting Haru continue 'helping' him.

"Am I clean now?" he asked when she finally stopped scrubbing.

"Uh huh. It all gone." Haru nodded. He felt a familiar youki butt up against his own and he growled under his breath he held Haru in one arm and got to his feet. He quickly grabbed robe of the fire rat and wrapped it around her, rubbing it gently over her head. He could sense his brother just behind the tree line, but chose to ignore him for the time being. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, rubbing it against Haru's affectionately. She smiled up at him, but suddenly shrunk into him, her little ears laying backward when she spotted Sesshomaru's menacing shadow emerged from the forest.

"If you are done coddling your whelp, " Sesshomaru drawled cooly, clearly annoyed at being so blatantly ignored.

"What the hell do you want?" Inuyasha groused, adjusting Haru on his hip. The toddler snuggled herself tightly against her father, but remained silent. She may still be very young, but she had enough sense to remain silent when she encountered someone as intimidating as her uncle. Her sense of smell told her he was kin, but the small amount of youki she posessed was absolutely overwhelmed by the power the taiyokai emitted from his person.

"I have come to discuss something with you." Sesshomaru stated.

"What, those dumb panthers causing trouble in the West again?" Inuyasha snorted. "I ain't interested in fighting for a territory that means nothing to me." Sesshoumaru's expression remained unchanged, but his aura of growing anger belayed his true feelings.

"Believe me when I say that those flea bitten felines would not dare rise against me again."

"The why are you here?"

"It is not concern of mine, but Rin thought it interesting that she encountered a woman with great resemblance to that of your miko on our journey." Sesshoumaru explained. He seemed bored, and turned to leave.

Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat. "Where?" Inuyasha asked breathlessly.

"In the mountains north west of here. This woman was traveling with a human priest when we crossed paths. Rin was convinced that she wasn't in fact your wife, although she found the resemblance uncanny." Sesshomaru continued.

"What about you? Were you convinced?" Inuyasha pressed, hoping beyond hope that this would be the lead that brought his Kagome back to him.

"I must admit that her scent resembled that of your wife closely. Too closely to be coincidence. If that woman is indeed not your miko, then someone is going to great lengths to convince people otherwise." The taiyokai suddenly fell silent then sauntered away without a backward glance.

Inuyasha smiled like an idiot, unable to contain his excitement. This was his first real clue to what had happened to Kagome all of those months ago, and even if it ended up being a dead end it was a lead he could actually follow. "Papa, no squishy." Haru grunted, pushing against his chest to relieve some of the pressure he hadn't realized he had been holding her with.

"Want to get dressed and visit Kaede-baba?" he asked Haru as he headed back to the hut. The toddler was excited to get the change to see her adoptive grandmother and smiled, nodding her little head excitedly.

"Yes! Go see Kady-obaa!" she enthused. Inuyasha had never seen Haru so cooperative, holding incredibly still while he diapered and dressed her. Once he had gotten her sash tied securely Haru was already half way out the door.

"Hold on there, you're not going anywhere without me." he chuckled as he lifted his excited pup into his arms and headed to the village as quickly as they could safely go


End file.
